William Clare (Bill) Wonders was born on 22 April 1924. He completed his BA in Geography at the University of Toronto in 1946, followed by an MA in Geography from Syracuse University in 1948 and a PhD in Geography from the University of Toronto in 1951.

Wonders was the founder and first professor of the Department of Geography at the University of Alberta. He also founded the Alberta Geographical Society in 1964. He was appointed University Professor at the University of Alberta in 1983. Co-founder and first chair of the Boreal Institute for Northern Studies (now the Canadian Circumpolar Institute), his research, teaching, writing, and consulting work centred strongly on the North, native land claims, Scandinavia, and special atlases. Dr. Wonders was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1999, and was also awarded the Queen's Jubilee medal. The map library at the University of Alberta is named in his honor. The William C Wonders Medal in Geography was also created in his honour.

Wonders had three children with his wife Lillian. He passed away on 24 January 2011.